Data security continues to be significant challenge for information contained in application databases. Application databases utilize computer programs whose primary purpose is to enter and retrieve information, and are used in numerous fields, such as government, medical records, accounting, finance, science, web-based services, and so forth. One of the challenges with implementing application databases is the fact that the data often includes private or sensitive information, such as account information, social security numbers, medical records, etc., and such information is available to employees, developers, system administrators, etc. Accordingly, common strategies for handling private data include ensuring that access is password protected and data encryption.
Although it is relatively straightforward to provide password protection and encrypt data contained in such a database to protect user information, problems arise due to the fact that there are often numerous authorized users who have access to the decrypted data. Authorized users, whether acting intentionally or via comprised user credentials, create a significant risk of a data breach. In a typical environment, authorized users may include application users, developers, project managers, and system administrators. Any one of these actors could potentially misuse their credentials to compromise the data.